There are many commercial hand sanitizers, which you can use, but, you can make sanitizer on your own. Nowadays, when the COVID – 19 is present in almost every country, the usage of good old – fashioned hand-washing is one of the best ways for preventing the spread of this infectious disease. Many people are worried about this disease. If you do not have water and soap in your place, then you can use an alcohol – based hand sanitizer, which contains at least 60% alcohol. If you have a stockpile of store – bought hand sanitizer, then you have luck. But, in this hard time, it is hard to find it at a store or online.
Due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus, most retails cannot keep up with the demand for hand sanitizer. But, there is good news for you. You will need just three ingredients to make your own hand sanitizer at home. We all know that it is best to wash our hands and the homemade hand sanitizers should be used when you are not able to wash your hands with water and soap. The homemade hand sanitizers will protect you from the novel coronavirus, as well as other illnesses, like seasonal flu and common cold. It is very important to remember to wash your hands after going to the bathroom.
Also, you need to wash your hands after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. You need to wash your hands before eating. Also, you need to wash your hands after touching surfaces which could be contaminated. You need to remember that the homemade hand sanitizers are handy on – the – go way to help prevent the spread of germs when soap and water are not available. The alcohol – based hand sanitizers can help you to stay safe and reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. You should make your own hand sanitizer if it is difficult to find it in the local stores. You will need only few ingredients, such as rubbing alcohol, Aloe Vera gel and an essential oil or lemon juice.
A word of warning: The recipes for hand sanitizers are intended for the use by professionals with the necessary expertise and resources for safe creation and proper utilization. You need to use the homemade hand sanitizers in extreme situations, when hand washing is not available for the foreseeable future. You should not use the homemade hand sanitizers on children’s skin as they may be more prone to use them improperly, which will lead to a greater risk for injury.
What ingredients do you need? It is easy to make your own hand sanitizer and it only requires a few ingredients. You will need a rubbing alcohol (which has 99% alcohol volume) or an isopropyl, Aloe Vera gel and an essential oil (such as tea tree oil or lavender oil). If you do not have essential oil at your home, then you can use lemon juice. The key of homemade hand sanitizer is to make an effective, germ – busting hand sanitizer, which is stick up to a 2:1 proportion of alcohol to Aloe Vera. This will keep the alcohol content around 60%. The CDC has announced that this is the minimum amount needed to kill most germs.
How to make your own hand sanitizer? The hand sanitizer recipe which is given below is said to kill 99.9% of germs after sixty seconds. Here is given the recipe for hand sanitizer:
What you will need:
- Ten drops of essential oil, like lavender oil, or you can use lemon juice instead
- ¼ cup of Aloe Vera gel (this can help to keep your hands smooth and to counteract the harshness of alcohol)
- ¾ cup of rubbing alcohol (99%) or isopropyl
Directions: You need to pour all ingredients into a bowl, ideally one with a pouring spout, like a glass measuring container. You need to mix all ingredients with a spoon and then, beat with a whisk to turn the sanitizer into a gel. You should pour the ingredients into an empty bottle for easy use and label it “hand sanitizer”.
Also, there is another similar formula, which is shared by the Jagdish Khubchandani, PhD, associated professor of health science at Ball State University. This type of hand sanitizer formula combines:
- A few drops of some essential oil, like clove, eucalyptus, peppermint, or other essential oil
- One part of Aloe Vera
- Two parts of isopropyl alcohol or ethanol (91% – 99% alcohol).
If you are making this hand sanitizer at home, then the professor says to adhere to these tips:
- You need to make the hand sanitizer in a clean space. Then, wipe down counter tops with a diluted bleach solution beforehand.
- You need to wash your hands thoroughly before you make the hand sanitizer.
- You should use a clean spoon and whisk to mix these ingredients. You should wash these items thoroughly before you use them.
- You should be sure that the alcohol used for the hand sanitizer is not diluted.
- You need to mix all the ingredients thoroughly until they are well blended.
- You should not touch the mixture with your hands until it is ready for use.
The World Health Organization has a formula for a larger batch of hand sanitizer and it uses:
- Sterile distilled or boiled cold water
- Glycerol
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Isopropyl alcohol or ethanol
Is it safe? There are many homemade hand sanitizers all over the internet nowadays, but the real question is “are they safe”. You need to remember that the above mentioned recipes are intended for use by professionals with both the expertise and resources to safely make homemade hand sanitizers. You should remember that the homemade hand sanitizers are recommended being used only in extreme situations when you are not able to wash your hands for foreseeable future. The improper ingredients or proportions can lead to:
- Exposure to hazardous chemicals via inhalation
- Skin irritation, injury or burns
- Lack of efficacy, meaning that the sanitizer may not effectively eliminates risk of exposure to some or all microbes
It is not recommended the homemade hand sanitizer for children. It is noticed that children may be more prone to improper hand sanitizer usage and this could lead to a greater risk for injury.
How to use hand sanitizer? You need to rub the homemade hand sanitizer into your skin until your hands are dry. Also, if your hands are greasy or dirty, then you should wash them first with soap and water. When you know these two things, then you can read the next few tips for using homemade hand sanitizer effectively.
- You should spray or apply the homemade hand sanitizer to the palm of one hand.
- Then, you need to thoroughly rub your hands together. You should be sure to cover the entire surface of your hands and all your fingers.
- You should continue rubbing for 30 – 60 seconds or until your hands are dry. Usually, it takes at least sixty seconds, and sometimes longer, for hand sanitizers to kill the most germs.
What germs can hand sanitizer kill?
The CDC have said that an alcohol – based sanitizer, which meets the alcohol volume requirement, can quickly reduce the number of microbes on your hands. Also, it can help to destroy a wide range of disease – causing agents or pathogens on your hands, including the novel coronavirus SARS – CoV – 2. But, even the best alcohol – based hand sanitizers have limitations and they do not eliminate all types of germs. CDC has said that the hand sanitizers will not get rid of potentially harmful chemicals. Also, they are not effective at killing the next types of germs: noroviurs, clostridium difficile (also known as C. diff) and cryptosporidium (which causes cryptosporidiosis).
Also, you should know that the homemade hand sanitizer may not work well if your hands are visible greasy or dirty. If your hands look like slimy or dirty, then you should opt for hand-washing instead of a hand sanitizer. It is known fact that the homemade hand sanitizer can be an effective way of getting rid of germs, but the health authorities still recommend hand washing whenever possible to keep your hands free of viruses that are causing diseases, as well as other germs. You should know that the alcohol dries the skin and strips the protective oils. This is a reason why you need to follow up the hand sanitizer with a good lotion to keep the skin in top shape. The damaged skin has tiny cracks, which trap bacteria and viruses and it is harder to remove them. If you have sensitive skin, then you should try to keep the amount of alcohol in hand sanitizer around 60 – 70%, because a higher concentration can cause irritation on your skin. It is easy to make the homemade hand sanitizer, so all what you need is few ingredients and make it right now at your home. Stay safe with your homemade hand sanitizer.
